A Well Apart
by MusikFreak707
Summary: He thought he was saving her for her own good but could it be he did more damage then he thought? InuxKag
1. Chapter 1

"So...why did you want to come all the way out here?" Kagome asked. Though she didn't mind walking through the forest, it _was_ a beautiful place to stroll along, she didn't usually have Inuyasha volunteer to walk with her. They stopped at the well and she leaned against the already aging wood.

"I just wanted to talk to you." Inuyasha replied, a slight tremor of emotion in his voice. He kicked the dirt, not wanting to meet her eyes. He knew if he did he wouldn't be able to follow through with his plan.

"Sooo...what's up?" she asked, trying to get him to open up to her. He was always so secluded, never wanting to let anyone in.

"Kagome I...you're...you're the purest soul I've ever met." he stopped there, struggling to keep the emotions raging through him out of his voice. He didn't want to let her know something was wrong until it was to late to do anything about it.

"Um, thanks? I think. You wanted to walk all the way here to tell me that?" She was flattered but she knew it wasn't what he wanted to tell her. She always knew when something bothered him, she just never could get him to talk about it.

"You're so smart Kagome, you could do great things for people...you don't need to be here now that Naraku is dead, we just need the jewel fragments from Koga and Kohaku and thats it.

"I _want_ to be here Inuyasha. Why else would I stay?"

"I just want you to be happy, I...I lo...I really do care about you Kagome." He let go of his emotions, letting a few tears fall. He didn't want to hurt her, but he knew she would never be happy. Not with him.

"Inuyasha I-" She was cut off by his lips on hers. She closed her eyes and embraced him, letting the feel of him wash over her. He pulled back quickly, looking away so she wouldn't be able to see the pain on his face.

"Inuyasha?" She pushed his shoulder back, forcing him to look at her. What she saw was anger,pain, and a whole lot of sorrow.

"Inuyasha what's wro-" She was cut off by his hands on her chest. One forcefully pushing her backwards, the other near her neck. She felt herself falling, felt something tug and then give as she fell backward. She flailed her arms wildly, trying to catch herself before she hit the ground, but there was nothing but air. She never felt the grass on her back, instead she kept falling down and down into the well, her last sight was of his tear-streaked face looking down at her as she fell back into the world she didn't even know anymore.

She felt the ground solidify and knew what he had done. What she didn't understand was why. Why had he felt the need to trap her in her own time, to make it so she couldn't ever come back? Why would he kiss her, act like he cared, and then push her away for good? Why was she stupid enough to fall for it again? She reached up to her face and felt tears she didn't even know where falling. She knew he would come back for her. He always did. Still, it didn't make it any easier knowing he had wanted her to leave. She got up and began to make her way out of the well.

She walked into her house, hoping no one was around so she could have some time to herself. She started to walk toward her room when she heard her mother call her name.

"Kagome is that you?" She asked as she put down the dish she was washing. She pulled Kagome into a tight hug. "Kagome I didn't expect you back so soon, are you hungry?" She let her go and started toward the kitchen.

"No mom I'm not hungry." She tried to hide her sorrow the best she could but she was never a very good actress.

"Kagome, honey, what's wrong?" Her mother asked as she sat down. Kagome moved and sat next to her, both loving and hating the idea of venting to someone.

"Inuyasha doesn't want me there anymore, he took the jewel so I can't go back." Her tears fell freely and she took the tissue her mom offered her.

"But dear, why would he do that? It's obvious that he likes you, so why wouldn't he want you there?"

"I don't know," She said with a sigh. It wasn't any more dangerous then when he had wanted her there day and night collecting jewel shards and her mom was right, it was obvious he liked her. So why would he stop her from ever coming back? "I guess he just needs some space. I'm gonna go lay down ok mom? I'm really tired." It was true, her constant fighting worked her body more then she realized until she was home and allowed to relax. She usually would take a bath but her body and mind were just too tired to do anything.

"Ok Kagome, there's food in the kitchen if you're hungry later."

She made her way to her bedroom, suddenly disgusted by how cheerful it was. The pink-on-pink look made her head hurt so she promptly turned off the light. The whole room screamed of her old life, one where her biggest concern was who was going to ask her out. The girl who lived here had very little worries, there were no demons to fight or hanyous to keep in check. There were no demon slayer friends and small foxes to make her smile, there was no healing herbs to learn, no perverted monks to smack, no wolf demons fighting for her heart or dead mikos fighting for her crush. The girl who lived here was long gone, and Kagome doubted she was ever coming back. She closed her tear filled eyes and cried herself to sleep.


	2. Chapter 2

Sorry it took so long but I've been a little busy (^_^)v I hope you all like it.

Chapter 2

Kagome fell to her knees next to the well. The familiar feeling of sorrow washed over her as she thought of the life she had once based her time here around. She thought of the only real friends she had ever had, and the only real love. It was a life of danger and conflict, but one that she would give anything to have back. She may have been in danger most of the time, and arguing with a certain hanyou the rest, but her life was never boring. Compared to that, this time was slow and depressing.

"How could you condemn me to this life Inuyasha? Don't you know how much I loved the one I had? She sighed and pulled a hand through her now silver-streaked black hair. A lot had changed in the past year, and now she felt even more alone then she had when she had first arrived back. Then everyone had understood her misery, they had tried to comfort her, but now they just left her alone to her own morbid thoughts.

She walked to a dark corner of the small room and dug up the shallow grave that held her only link to sanity. Numb to everything, she gently pulled the blade over her arm, pressing only hard enough to leave slight red marks.

"Why can't you just come back and save me?" she whispered as she pulled the blade down the length of her arm, watching as the blood poured down it. Silent tears fell down her cheeks as she reburied the knife and began cleaning her arm. Pulling her sleeve down over the gauze, she walked into the cold air of night toward her house.

They were finally back after their longest journey ever. Naraku was finally dead and the jewel was nearly whole. The only ones that remained were Koga's and Kohaku's, but Inuyasha had been avoiding those encounters. He wanted Sango to make the decision when Kohaku's would be taken back, he didn't want to just kill the boy and have her to deal with as well. He also didn't want to kill Koga if he didn't have to but he wished they could get it over with and have the jewel whole again.

"It's times like these that I really miss Kagome, she always knew how to talk to people. She-" His ranting to himself was cut off as he came closer to a familiar sight and a very familiar scent.

"Inuyasha!" Miroku and Sango yelled as they ran after him. He didn't move to answer them, his thoughts not going beyond the scent that came from the well.

"Inuyasha, there you are!" Miroku said through deep breaths. " We were going to take Kirara and go back to Sango's village. She wants to pay her respects to the dead now that we have the time."

Inuyasha took a step forward and stopped, frozen again by the dread in his mind.

"Inuyasha? Are you ok? You don't look so well" Sango said as she came up behind him.

He forced himself to the wells edge and gazed over. He expected to find her there, a bloody mess from the smell that came through, but he didn't see anything. Then again, that could mean she was hurt just on the other side, in her time.

"It...it's Kagome." He said, his voice barely a whisper. He turned back to the two, watching as they exchanged shocked looks.

"Is she..coming back? Sango asked, her voice quivering from emotion. She had longed to see her lost friend, but Inuyasha had said she wanted a normal life, her old life. He told them she had left and she had fully meant to never return.

"No..I think...I think she's.." He couldn't bring himself to say what he knew had to be true.

"What?" Miroku asked, his voice full of concern for both Kagome and Inuyasha. He had never seen his friend so pale, so scared.

"Hurt." He whispered, struggling to keep his emotions in check. He couldn't believe she was hurt but the evidence was there. He couldn't believe he had sent her back to the safer life only to have her hurt worse then she ever would have been here with him around to protect her. He didn't wait to answer their questions. He jumped down the well in one swift movement and waited as the familiar lights engulfed him, taking him to a time he couldn't believe, a time where Kagome was.

He jumped out of the well and looked around. The smell of blood here was so strong he had to cover his nose. The problem was there was no blood anywhere, no body either. He dropped his hand and followed the smell to a corner of the room. He didn't see anything but he brushed to loose dirt away, unearthing the blade that was covered in what was definitely her blood and her scent. No one else had been in here in a long time. Confused he followed her scent out of the shrine and jumped to her room. For a second he thought he was in the wrong place. Nothing was like he remembered it, but the smell told him it was the same room he had been in so many times before. He looked around, taking everything in.

The once bright pink walls had been painted black as well as the dresser, the desk, and the bed. Her blankets and pillows were black as well. He walked to the closet and pushed open the door. All of the clothes were different, consisting of black and red and other various dark colors. There was none of the bright dresses she had loved, or the uniform she had wore most of the time. The only shoes at the bottom of the closet were heavy combat boots and black and white chucks. Inuyasha jumped as a voice pulled him from his rumaging.

"I never thought I would see _you_ again." Sota said from the doorway. He was a bit bigger but at least he hadn't changed much.

"Where's Kagome? Is she hurt? Is she ok?" He grabbed the boy by his shoulders and shook him.

"She's working," Sota answered, pushing Inuyasha's hands away. " She works at a book store down the street. As for if she's ok...I _really _don't think so. You really messed her up ya know. Why would you think she was hurt?"

Inuyasha took in his words one sentence at a time. She had a job now. He remembered her telling him she would have to get one soon. He remembered the fight they had had because he didn't want her to, he didn't want her gone almost everyday for hours at a time. He knew what a book store was. He remembered following her to it and how she had nearly sat him for walking around in public like a psycho sniffing the ground. He knew it would hurt her to leave but he didn't realize how bad it could be.

"I smelled her blood when we got back to the village. The whole shrine smells like her blood, but only she has been in there, at least recently." He watched as Sota's head dropped, tears falling from his eyes.

"What?" Inuyasha more demanded then asked. Sota sniffed and wipped his nose with his sleeve.

"She goes out there when she's sad. I've followed her a few times when she really worried me. She..she's a cutter Inuyasha." He tried to remember if she had ever mentioned that word but came up blank.

"What's a "cutter"? He asked as he sat down on the bed. Her scent was there but it was different now. Her pillow smelled of the "shampoo" she insisted on using and the salty smell of her tears. He shuddered at the thought of her laying here in this dark room, crying enough that he could still smell the tears.

"She's hurting Inuyasha," Sota said, tears still falling down his face, "When it gets so bad and she can't take it, she goes to the shrine where she knows no one will bother her. She...she cuts herself."

Inuyasha felt like he had been punched in the stomach. He didn't understand why she would do something like that. He couldn't comprehend how someone could intentionally hurt themselves. He walked to the window, unable to stand the smell her bed now gave off.

"What...why would she do that?" He stammered. He thought of the girl he knew, the one he had loved so much, the one he had wanted a better life for. He thought of her smile, her laugh, her compassion, her strength. He had felt confident she would move on. Apparently he was wrong.

"Because the Kagome we all knew is dead and it's all _your _fault!" Sota yelled as he ran down the hall to his room and slammed the door, leaving Inuyasha to his own misery.


	3. Chapter 3

Chapter 3

He woke up alone in the dark, the smell of tears filling his sensitive nose. Blurry eyed, he looked at the clock on the nightstand. It was 5 in the morning. It took Inuyasha a minute to realize he was asleep on Kagome's bed. He sat up and stretched, only to catch a new scent in the air, a familiar one.

" Sitting alone in the dark for hours gives you a lot of time to think. Less distractions ya know?"

Inuyasha turned his head, straining to get the sleep out of his eyes. It sounded like Kagome, but different. Her voice held a hint of saddness, distance. She was sitting backwards in the black chair at her desk. He looked her over, shocked to see someone he didn't know, a stranger. She was beautiful still, as she always had been, just in a more sultry, sad way. He didn't know what to say or how to begin, so he said nothing.

" I spend a lot of time in the dark, a lot of time in my thoughts. I guess you could say I'm an expert on the innerworkings of the depressed mind."She got up off the chair and walked toward him, forcing him to move as she sat on the bed. " I'm guessing you have some reason to come and get me. I highly doubt you came all the way here just to see me, since, ya know, you haven't."

"K-Kagome?" was all he could manage to say. She was so different. She wasn't the kind and caring person he had once know, loved even. This wasn't the strong girl that he had wanted a better life for. This wasn't _his _Kagome. He looked down only to look away. He couldn't believe what he saw but he knew his eyes hadn't failed him, those were scars on her arm.

"What?" she said, lightly irritated. She looked tired, emotionally and physically. He wanted nothing more then to pull her to him and help her, stop her pain, but he knew she would never go for it. She wouldn't forgive him so easily. He wouldn't forgive himself so easily.

"What happened to you?" He turned to look at her. He searched her face for something familiar, some small part of her that was still there, something to let him know she wasn't completely gone.

"What do you mean what happened to me? I stopped being a preppy loser if thats what you mean. I started losing myself in drugs and blood. Drinking for the hell of it and screwing anything male if thats what you mean. It's easy not to give a damn when you have nothing to lose."

Inuyasha didn't know what to say to that. He felt like she had just hit him across the face and then punched him in the stomach. She didn't care who knew about her problems. She didn't care about anything. It was like she was dead to the world.

"Kagome, I'm so sorry. I-" He was cut off by her lips on his. Shocked he pulled away slowly, looking into her eyes, only to find nothing. All at once his face hurt and she was walking to her put his hand on the red mark now forming on his face. She had slapped him. He jumped off the bed, ready to yell his objections when she was suddenly pulling off her shirt, her back to him. Stunned at her lack of modesty, he turned his back to her, words failing to form in his mouth. She walked across the room, a silk dress showing off everything her body had to offer. He watched as she reached her hand under the bed and pulled out a box, pulling the sexy black stillettos onto her feet.

"I want to see my friends, and you _are_ going to take me or you are going to leave and never come back." she said, her voice full of malice.

"You're um...going to go like that?" he managed to ask. He couldn't see her standing a chance against a demon if one were to attack while they were there.

"I have to go to a party in a few hours. Besides, how many demons could there possibly be now that Naraku is dead?" He watched as she walked out of the room and down the hall. It took him a minute to force himself to move and follow her into the bathroom where she was fixing her hair and makeup.

"I thought you didn't like all that...stuff.?" He leaned against the doorway for support, fearing if he didn't he would fall over dead from the look she was giving him.

"And I thought you liked me...but we all change...don't we Inuyasha?" She glared at him for a few more seconds before going back to applying her makeup. All he could do was stare at her, watching as her plain brown eyes were enhanced by a smoky black look. She didn't say anything when she was done, instead she pushed past him into the hall and continued out the front door. He was reluctant to take her back to the friends he had lied to but he knew he had to explain to her why he had done what he did. He followed her out to the well, every ounce of his will power going into keeping his emotions in check as the scent of her blood filled his nose. He slowly grabbed her around her waist, unsure of how much she would tolerate from him. Together they jumped down the well, the familiar swirl of colors engulfing them, taking them back to his time.


	4. Chapter 4

Chapter 4

They walked into the village, the fresh air soothing. She breathed in deeply, memories flooding her mind. She had missed this place so much. She sat on the grass, not wanting to see everyone just yet. She had forgotten just how beautiful the sunrises were here in a time where everything was lush and green and peaceful. She forced herself to hold back the tears that were threatening the fall. She wouldn't cry, especially not in front of him. She had already almost lost it when she kissed him, she didn't want anything to ruin this moment of bliss.

"Kagome, I thought you wanted to see everyone?" he all but whispered. She looked at him then in the morning light. He was still her perfect angel. Her guardian. She had never stopped thinking about the good times she had had here. She was a mess and she knew it.

"I don't want to wake everyone just yet, let them sleep." She shivered as the cool air swarmed around her, gasping as she felt the familiar material of his haori. She wrapped it around her, relishing its warmth and comfort. It was one of the few things that had made her feel safe here in this dangerous yet beautiful time. She watched as he stopped a few feet from her, unsure of where to go. She patted the ground next to her, motioning him to sit. He did.

"Kagome...I don't want you to go on thinking I did this because I don't like you or want you around anymore. It's just..I thought you deserved better.." he paused there, unsure of which words to use to describe his true intentions.

"Better meaning what exactly?" she asked as she pulled her knees to her chest.

"Better everything I guess. I wanted you to have a better life. I didn't want you to make demon slaying a career. I thought you deserved better then.."

"You?" she finished for him, " How could you think I would want anything more then you? How could you not see how much you meant to me, how much I needed you in my life? How blind are you!" she yelled, slapping him again. She watched as a wave of emotions filled his face. She waited for him to say something, to yell back, but he didn't. He rubbed the new red mark on his face and looked away.

" I didn't want to hurt you Kagome, I didn't want...this," he motioned to her new look, " I wanted you to have a happy, _safe_, life.

"I always felt safe Inuyasha." she whispered. She stood and walked to the tree that held more memories then she could count. She reached up, touching the hole left by the arrow that had changed so many lives. She jumped as she felt arms reach around her, holding hers by the wrists.

"What's wrong with you Kagome?" he asked. He needed to understand this new girl. He needed to find out why she was here, why she was blocking the Kagome he loved from coming back.

"Nothing..everything...I don't know.." she admitted, pulling her arms from his grasp and cradling them to her chest. She struggled to keep the tears at bay, she always cried when she thought of how messed up she really was.

"How can you not know why you do something? You choose to..do that..to yourself...so you should know why you do." He stopped and looked her in the eyes. They were no longer empty, instead full of a sorrow that ran deeper then he imagined. He watched as that sorrow turned to rage almost instantly and regretted his words just as fast.

"How dare you _demand _to know why I am the way that I am? I'm this way because of YOU! It's your fault! Everything is your fault! YOU did this, YOU stole every ounce of happiness I had! It's your fault! I HATE YOU!" Tears fell freely from her eyes, her anger leaving just as quickly as it had come. She fell into a heap on the grass, clutching her knees to her chest. She had shocked herself with her own words. She had never screamed at anyone like that, even in her darkest hours. She forced herself to look at him. He had said nothing, just let her scream at him. It wasn't like him. He had also changed more then she thought. She waited for him to say something, looking back down at the grass so he wouldn't see her crying anymore.

"I didn't mean to hurt you. I just wanted you to be happy. If you truly hate me then I'll leave you alone..you know where everyone is. Nothing has changed and everyone misses you so much." He walked up to her and set the almost whole jewel on the grass in front of her. He watched her reach for it and clutch it to her chest like a lifeline. He didn't say anything else to her, instead he turned and walked away.

"Don't leave me.."she whispered.


	5. Chapter 5

Chapter 5

He stopped. He couldn't see her anymore but he had definitly heard her. He tried to force himself to

move but he didn't know where to go. He heard her footsteps coming towards him. He turned to find her running toward him but he didn't move. He didn't know what to do.

She didn't slow down and she didn't stop. Her body moved on it's own, seeking out the light at the end of the tunnel. She ran at him with everything she had, her stillettos long forgotten.

He instantly wrapped his arms around her as she flew into him. She clung to him like a starving dog with a bone.

"Don't leave me.."she whispered again. "Don't leave me.."

"Never." He couldn't say anything else to her. He wanted to tell her how he felt, how sorry he was but he couldn't find the words. He held her, his head resting on hers, and let silent tears fall. He had always been strong. He had never felt this way before and it scared him. He knew he would keep his promise. He couldn't lose her again. He couldn't hurt her like this again. He listened as her sobs only grew worse. He felt his heart shatter. He had been naïve to think she would let go so easily. He had been stupid to block out his feelings.

"Help me..." she sobbed. She was drained, physically and emotionally. She didn't know how to fix her broken spirit. She didn't know how to mend her broken heart. She needed help. She needed him. She looked up at him, shocked to find him crying too. She watched as he reached up, wiping away the tears from her face. She closed her eyes, causing only more tears to fall. She felt him attempt a second time, his hands warm as he grabbed her face with both his hands. She gasped as she felt his mouth on hers. She pulled back, out of his reach. She couldn't relive this memory. She wouldn't be able to take another betrayal like that again.

"Kagome.." he breathed. He held out his hand, waiting for her to take it. She didn't. He looked her in the eyes, confused by her actions, and saw not saddness or anger but fear.

"Never again." he whispered. He watched as a million different emotions ran across her face. He wanted her to love him. He wanted her to trust him again, to believe he would never leave her again.

She took a step toward him, unsure of her feelings. He reached for her and kissed her again, clinging to her. He smelled her tears and felt a stab of pain in his heart. He felt her kiss him back, putting her trust in him again. He wouldn't let her down. He couldn't. She pulled away first, resting her head on his chest. They didn't say anything, letting the silence fill in around them.

"K-Kagome?" a high pitched voice said from behind them. She pulled away and looked around him, freezing as she saw her sleepy kitsune rubbing his eyes, still in a dazed state of mind. Inuyasha turned around, letting go of her. He looked at her and smiled as new tears fell, this time out of joy.

"Shippo." she breathed. She was running to him before she knew what was happening. She scooped him into her arms, her smile nearly cracking her cheeks. It had been a long time since she had smiled like that. Her actions shook the little fox demon awake and he stared up at her, shocked.

"K-Kagome? It's really you? You aren't just a dream?" She smiled as she nuzzled him, breathing in his familiar scent.

"No Shippo, I'm not a dream." She laughed as he jumped up and hugged her. She had missed him more then she even knew. She nearly cried as she saw two familiar figures running in their direction. She put Shippo on the ground and raced toward them.

She ran straight into Sango, her arms clutching her best friend. She felt Sango freeze, unsure of what was going on. She pulled back quickly, her eyes widening as she realized who had hugged her.

"KAGOME!" she yelled. She didn't say anything else, instead she watched as her long lost friend hugged Miroku.

"We thought you were gone for good Kagome." He told her. Neither of them had known her real reason for leaving and for now she wanted it to stay that way. At least until she knew what was going to happen next.

"I could never stay away for good Miroku. I thought you would know that by now." She smiled at her friends, misfits in everyway. They had all been brought together in the strangest ways by their shared enemy. They were all more important to her then she couldn't put into words. In a small way, she had Naraku to thank for all she had here. She laughed at the irony and hugged her friends again.


End file.
